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UER Forum > Journal Index > The fall of the house of Usher. > St. Bonaventure (Viewed 2388 times)
St. Bonaventure
entry by CaptOrbit 
9/17/2006 5:43 AM

St. Bonaventure, It was a large complex featuring a rectory, a small monastery, a garage, 2 schools, an office building, a lot of really cool steam tunnels, and of course the church itself. The compound had obviously been built in stages beginning with the massive gray limestone church that featured a large clock tower standing some 80-90 ft over Queen City Ave. I spent 3 days just photographing it. Although it had been just recently decommissioned, the church had been in a long decline. Built in the heart of what had once been known as little Italy, it spent it’s last decades in what is just another run down inner-city neighborhood. The older of the 2 schools was a 5 story brick building that had probably been unused for at least 30 years. The new school had probably been empty 10-15 years, it is all that remains having been bought by the Cincinnati public school system and refurbished. CPS tore down everything else save for the concrete arches over where the church’s main steps had been. They replaced the church itself with some ugly vinyl-clad school building.

The priest who was in charge of the decommissioning told me that lack of parishioners, lack of priests, and the lack of funds in the dioceses coffers to support dying churches were all factor in what was going on. When CPS approached them about buying the property they agreed. I was also told that one of the bad priests who was partly responsible for the diocese’s financial condition had been a long time resident of the monastery, he kind of more or less inferred that these were all memories that the Church and the City could do without.

The church that St. Bonaventure’s parish had been combined with still has a functioning school, and is much better repair, but from the top of Bonaventure’s tower with it’s silenced bells and forever still clock motor, to the basement bowling alley, where if I stood long enough I could almost here crowds cheering and pins crashing. I got the very distinct feeling that aside from the handful of parishioners who had recently moved on, (The food in the refrigerator wasn't even expired, a UE first for me.) That I was very last person to feel something for this old church. I wish that I had found it earlier.

The site is on a busy street that I often drive on my way home, but I found myself going out of my way to avoid it until the demolition was done. It still makes me sad when I drive by. I hope they saved the bowling alley, it was in the basement of the only building left standing...



Update; The stone arches are now gone too.


[last edit 11/19/2010 7:35 PM by CaptOrbit - edited 2 times]
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UER Forum > Journal Index > The fall of the house of Usher. > St. Bonaventure (Viewed 2388 times)


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